Outgoing mail clip



May 23, 1950 R. w. GIESELER OUTGOING MAIL CLIP Filed March 9, 1948 IN V EN TOR. RUSSELL IA/ G/iSELER ,4 7.' TORNf Y5 Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OUTGOING MAIL CLIP Russell W. Gieseler, Jamestown, N. Y.

Application March 9, 1948, Serial No. 13,833

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an improved outgoing mail device, and more particularly an improved device having means by which outgoing mail and letters may be removably and conveniently suspended in protected position within the interior of the news box and associated means for giving glaring notice to the postman that the news box contains outgoing mail to be removed.

News boxes of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 663,440, filed April 16, 1946, designed to commodiously contain delivered newspapers and magazines as well as letter mail, are a great convenience to news boys and postmen as well as the home occupant. These commodious news boxes desirably present unobstructed and smooth interior surfaces for the convenient removal and insertion of newspapers, magazines and mail.

This invention relates to an improved and simple device by means of which outgoing mail and letters may be conveniently suspended in easily accessible and protected position within the interior of news boxes of commodious size, and which device has associated therewith a notice flag which glaringly advises the postman that the box contains outgoing mail to be removed.

This improved device comprises a resilient clamping part to which the outgoing mail may be easily and quickly attached by the home occupant, and to which is attached a flag part designed to be suspended from the upper edge of the front wall panel of the news box to provide a downwardly extending notice section to advise the postman that the news box contains outgoing mail to be removed. This improved device is so constructed so as to permit full closing of the cover part of the news box when the device is suspended on the upper edge of the front wall panel thereof, and yet which can be easily lifted from its hung position by the postman to facilitate quick removal of the outgoing mail clamped thereto. This improved outgoing mail device is simple in design and construction, lasting in use, economical to manufacture, and admirably serves the convenience of both thehome occupant and the postman, without interfering with or restricting the capacity of the news box to contain newse papers, magazines and mail generally.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out .in the claim, the invention itself, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which Fig. I is a side elevational view of a news box showing the improved outgoing mail device suspended from the front wall thereof, certain parts of the news box being broken away to more clearly illustrate the manner in which outgoing mail and letters are suspended therein.

Fig. II is a perspective view of the improved outgoing mail device; and

Fig. III is a side elevational view of an outgoing mail device of modified construction.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing and specification.

There is shown in Fig. I of the drawing, a news box M of commodious size, having this improved outgoing mail device F, with outgoing letters L suspended. therefrom, hung in notice position from the upper edge of the front wall panel I of the news box. The news box is designed to be suitably suspended from a building wall W and comprises generally a front wall panel I whose upper edge is inclined forwardly from the bottom wall panel 2. The side wall panels 3 and the rear wall panel 4 form with the front wall panel I and the bottom wall panel 2, a box part of commodious size designed to contain newspapers and magazines, as well as letter mail.

The rear edges of the side wall panels 3 are designed to rest against the building wall and maintain the inset rear wall panel 4 of the news box spaced from the building wall so as to permit free circulation of air between .the rear wall panel 4 and the adjacent surface of the building wall W. The front wall panel I is of less height than the rear wall panel 4, and the upper edges of the side wall panels 3 are inclined downwardly towards the upper edge of the front wall panel I when the news box is in its normal wall suspended position.

The upper end of the box part is closed by a hinged cover part which presents a top cover panel 5 hinged to the box part at the rear edge thereof, a front cover flange 6 designed to telescope over the upper top edge I of the box front panel I, and side cover flanges I designed to telescope over the inclined upper edges 3' of the box side panels 3. The front cover flange 6 may be provided with an outwardly projecting lip portion 8 by means of which opening of the cover part may be facilitated. The front box panel l 3. and the side box panels 3 are desirably provided with an outwardly bulging reinforcing rib 9, which may be pressed from the sheet metal which forms these panels. 7

News boxes which are conveniently commodious in size to contain newspapers, magazines, as well as letter mail, require that the box part thereof be made with a front wall depth of from 12 to inches, and. conveniently. approximately 13 to 14 incheszin depth; Outgoing mail dropped onto the bottom wall panel 2 of a news box of such depth cannot be conveniently reached by.

. The outer flag leg 23 presents a box gripping porthe mail carrier. Shelves or pockets arranged in the interior of the news box to receive such. out

going mail, substantially reduces the capacity of the news box to receive mail, and interferes'with the convenient insertion and removalof newspapers and magazines into the news box.

This invention is directed to the provision of a device particularly designed for association with news boxes of-com-modious size whichserves' the ctualipurposeoii suspending theoutgoin mail. and.

letters: within. the interior of the: news box, fully protectedi'from the elements,. in a manner to. be conveniently accessible forremovalby the post-' man, and in. addition providescaclearly visible flag which! unmistakably informs the postman thatithe news box. conta ns outgoing mail tobe removed.

This improved outgoing mail. device comprises aclamping. part no to which theoutgoing mail may be conveniently andreleasablysecured-,, and

' the: outgoing mail or letters L therebetween. The

blade.- M has. a; stem portion: 13 formed integrally tl'ierewith and blade 52 has astem portion. My

formed. integraliy therewith, Each. of the blades M: and I2 and their associatedstem portions: i3-' and. k4,, may be: economically stamped from. flat pieces of. sheet meta-1t. A resilient: splittube !5 tion 24 which. merges into the upper end of the nearleg; 2 l% through a rounded edgerform-ing portion 25'. The upper portion of the rear leg 2| and the adjacent box gripping portion 24 are spaced apart sufiiciently to provide an internal groovepzti therebetween designed to receive the upper edge of the front wall panel I of the news box.

Thelower, edge: of the box gripping portion 24 merges into an outwardly flared hip portion 21 which is so shaped and designed as to seat against the outside face; of the reinforcing rib 9 extending horizonta'lly along the. upper-edge of thedrontwall; panell of the news box. The. front embraces a substantial section: of-- the bladesit and; Min amen-nor. so thatthe splittube i5 represents grippingx edges as which engage the adjacent faces of the blades ll and la. The stem portions !3 and M of the blades extend through.

spacedslits 1'! cutinthe body of theresilient tube in in a manner so: that the blades. 1 l andlZ. normaliy form a \4 angle therebetween, with. the. exposed. clamping edges= t8. of the blades. normally pressed in resilient contact. by. the. split tube. I55. The. split tube l5 preferably formed. of. resilient. steelso as to. normally retain the. clam-pin edges [8. and. the. blades [l and. l2 in. pressed resilientv contact.

The clamping. edges [8. of the blades [I and. 1.12; may be conveniently spread apart for. the. insertion of mail between the blades, by pressingthe.

stem portions l3 and I4 thereof towards each other for; a sufiicient' distance to freely permit insertion of-an edge: portion of outgoing mail; therebetween. When; pressure on the stem portions ['3 and 1'6 is released, the outgoing mail will be securelybut releasably held by the clamping". part Hi;

Y The flag part 20 may economically be formed from: asingle strip or' piece of resilient sheet metal bent to shape so. as to present; arear leg :15 which is designedto: be. secured to the stem portion ['3 of the clamping part as "by means of a suitable panel. reinrcreing rub a thus provides a. steadying seat for. the hip portion 21 of the flag part. It will be further.- notect by referring; to Fig. I, that the: box gripping portion-.24 oi the flag: part snugly hugs the outside: face; of the: upper portion l of. he front; wall; panel i1, so as to permit the front cover flange 5 to be swung in full closed position over the outside face or theupper. part I" the front wall; panel;

Fhe lower part of the-.hipiportion- 21 of the flag part merges into a. downwardly extending notice section 28 which may be ot convenientlength; the nature of approximately two inches, which isclearly visible.- onthe exterior; face. of the front wall panel of the news; box. when the cover part. thereof. is: in closed position. The lower end: of the notice section 23 terminatesin an outwardly flaredli-p portion 29.- Which. permits convenient grasp of. the. flag part 211 when mounting and removing; thev device onto and from. its. suspended position on the 'tront. wall panel of the news. box.

The.- outer flag leg 23 can bepainted or colored in a, glaring. color contrast to the color of: the

news box-exterior, so. that it immediately attractsthe notice of the. letter carrier; For example. the outer flag leg. 23. may be. painted a flamingred, in color contrast to. the bright metal color or bronze color of the news box. itself. The notice section. 28.. may also. carry a.- suitabl'enctice indicia such as."O utgoing mail.. or Outmail.

.This improved outgoing mail device can be: constructed. and. assembled. from sheet metal at low cost,. to provide. av device. for suspending. the outgoing mail. protected, position. Within-the: news. box, within convenient access. to the post-- man. When. removingv the suspended mail, the. postman liftsthe entire outgoing mailldevice. from its. suspended position; on .theirontf wall panel. of the. news. box; releases. the suspended outgoing. mail from theclamping. part it thereof, and. tosses. the outgoingmail device i'nt'o the interior of. thelnews box where it. may be left until. the.

' home. occupant again desires to supply outgoing.

mail to the postman. The home, occupanti then.

interior of the news box, which provides a positive means for notifying the postman that the news box contains Outgoing mail to be removed, and which conveniently serves the purposes of both the postman and the resident.

While certain novel features of this invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is:

An outgoing mail device designed to be associated with and removably suspended from the upper edge section of the front wall panel of a commodious type of news box, said device including in combination, an outgoing mail clamping part designed to be contained within the interior of the mail box and to which the outgoing mail may be detachably secured in suspended position within the interior of the mail box, and a flag part designed to grip the free upper edge portion of the mail box front panel and retain said mail clamping part in suspended position with the mail box, said flag part comprising a relatively flat rear leg fixedly secured to said mail clamping part with the upper end section of said rear leg designed to seat substantially flatly against the upper inside face of the box front wall panel, and an outer flag leg having an upper box panel gripping section joined by a rounded edge to the upper end section of said rear leg,

said box gripping section extending substantially parallel to the upper edge section of said rear leg to snugly receive and resiliently grip the upper edge portion of the box front wall panel therebetween, the lower edge of said box gripping section merging into an outwardly flared hip section, the lower edge of said hip section merging into a relatively straight notice section extending downwardly at an outwardly flared angle with respect to the relatively fiat rear leg, the lower edge of said notice section terminating in an outwardly flared lip providing a convenient finger grip for mounting and removing the device to and from suspended position on the front wall panel of the news box, said notice section being colored in striking color contrast with the exterior color of the news box with which it is used to thereby unmistakably inform the postman that the news box contains outgoing mail to be removed.

RUSSELL W. GIESELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 541,384 Pascoe June 18, 1895 868,567 Jensen Oct. 15, 1907 916,472 Morrill Mar. 30, 1909 

